Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
The sound on the Bose Wave Radio/CD player is good for a clock radio but not as good as a cheaper boombox. It is nice to wake up to a nice sound in the mornning, especially good sound for talk radio. The CD player was never very good. It took a long time to start playing and the sound was not as good as the talk radio. For $400+ this clock radio /CD player this is not nearly worth the money. Reliability is terrible. I have had other clock radios that played either 8-track or cassette that lasted 20 years or more. This one just went dead after two years. The factory charged $150 to repair it. After it was sent back it worked about another two years and again just went dead. This time it is going in the trash. Not worth investing $400 in something that probably won't last very long and requires a $150 repair job every two years. I'm going back to $30 clock radios and will listen to my stereo system for music.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have Bose wave radio for my bedroom and the larger system for the living room.
The sound is good, but hardly exceptional for the high price you pay.
The wave cd radio is machanically poor at best. If you let a cd play from beginning to
end it is fine....try to jump to a track and it will spin for several minutes, no sound and then
shut down. I have emailed Bose and called and ZERO concern on their part.
I honeslty think it is one of the most over rated and over priced items on the market
today.
My Sony CD walkman for 50.00 sounds as good and works better every time.
Bose is a huge scam and rip off....I would never buy another one nor would I
ever recommend it to anyone.

Price Paid:  $200.00 from From a friend

Summary:
I never thought I'd fess up to owning one of these, but OK, I've done it. I got if from a friend that needed cash and had one his parents gave him as a gift. Good thing for him they live a far piece off.
I'd always thought it sounded ok, so when he offered it to me, I took him up on it. I was flush with money and he wasn't, and the price seemed OK.
After owning it for about 6 months, I had the chance to compare it to my daughters stereo boom box I'd bought her for her birthday. It was nondescript, I think it was a JVC, had the CD player and am-fm radio.
The damn boom box, costing half the price, sounded as good as the Bose Wave radio! I got to looking on the internet and my suspicions were confirmed by others who had compared the Wave radio with other less costly equipment. I'd never really paid any attention to my friends Wave radio before I bought it, I just thought it sounded OK, not great. After all, what can you expect from such a small package? Well, more than you get if you are looking at the dollars spent.
I wish I'd listened more carefully to the wave radio before I bought it. I wouldn't have, I'd have gotten a decent and pocketed the difference. Oh well, someone on ebay bought it from me for what I paid, and then some.
It wasn't bad for quiet listening, but turn up the volume and it really started to gasp. Not very powerful. How Bose can claim it sounds like a system costing 3 grand is beyond me. I have had several systems, all costing less than 3 grand and I'll put them up against any Wave radio in a blind test.

Strengths:
It looks really good, and resale value back then was good.

Weaknesses:
Typical of Bose, there just isn't very good definition in the high range and there really isn't any bass to speak of. Classical music was kind of bland. Turning up the power showed a distinct lack of it. Sound was good at low levels, which I presume most buyers would play at.
It ain't for rock and roll or heavy classical music, both of which I like a bit on the loud side.
I give it 2.5 stars only because I feel sorry for those who have bought it and found it lacking. Apparently most people do, reading these reviews.

Similar Products Used:
I've never bothered to buy another radio in the same class as the wave radio.

Price Paid:  $599.00 from Bose Store

Summary:
I could not be happier with the system. I bought the single CD unit for my office and crank it whenever I can. The sound is crystal clear and surrounds the room.

For those who think this will supplant a $3000 sound system...get real. For those in the real world this is a pleasure. Open the box and play.

Strengths:
Size...sound.....design.....bass amplification great ....keeps the groove

Weaknesses:
There are cheaper but the sound is worth the extra bucks.

Similar Products Used:
I did listen to a Polk system that was impressive as well but I would not trade for it.mNone

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Bose.com

Summary:
I guess I got one of the "good ones," because my Bose Wave is excellent. The sound is room filling. Radio stations sound great, and the aux input allows connecting the audio from the cable box, thus providing great video sound, taking up very little shelf space.

Strengths:
Back-lit remote is easy to use. Great sound, both radio and aux input. Easy to set up. AM "talk radio" option is a plus.

Weaknesses:
Granted, price is a bit high, but for as good a quality product as this is, go for it! Wish it had HD capability.